We'll Never Make It In This Vicious, Little World
by flirting-with-your-timelord
Summary: What happens when Graham returns to Storybrooke after the curse was broken? How did he survive? Everyone remembers, and some can't forget the day he died. Gremma! With hints of RumBelle and Red Cricket!
1. Seen it all, but this one's different

**We'll Never Make It In This Vicious, Little World**

**A/N: ****I was in a fluffy OUaT mood and have spent the last half an hour scrolling through the Graham/Emma tag on Tumblr with a hell load of feels**_**.**_** This fic takes place after the curse is broken, when Emma believes in magic. Enjoy some Gremma! (and hints of Rumbelle and Red Cricket!) Be warned, slight angst, which isn't my usual thing! I originally started this as a one-shot, but I'm tempted to continue. Opinions?**

"Emma?" A deep Irish accent sounded from behind the newly named White Knight, her father's sword resting lightly against her hip. It had been a week since Regina had been placed in prison, with a harsh rivalry separating Storybrooke in two halves. One half believed Regina should be killed for what they did to them, the other being a bit more liberal in their beliefs.

The people of Storybrooke were relishing in their memories, all sat in a large circle. This was the newly formed Storybrooke Council, made up of every key member of the town, excluding the Evil Queen who was currently residing in a cell.

Emma turned to see a man she thought she would never see again. He looked vastly different without his leather jacket and sheriffs badge, which was currently residing on one of her belt loops. Instead, he was dressed in a dark leather suit, a crossbow hanging over his back. He was clearly from the Fairytale world. She put down the pointer she was currently using to describe the battle tactics of what was known as the 'Final Battle', which would finally end the curse. When Emma looked closer, she could see the dark blood matted in his clothes, a dark red gash deep across his cheek, his back slumped as the weight of the crossbow weighed him down.

She ran straight into his arms, being wary of the places particularly matted with blood. Her mind flashed back to when she held him in her arms, the life leaving him. How could he be here? He gripped her tight, clearly half in a hug and half in need of support to keep him upright. They parted slightly, looking deep into each other's eyes, a smile gracing both their features.

"How can you be here?" Emma said, worrying her hand over Graham's head, gently pulling back his now longer hair to examine the cut on his cheek.

"You knew I'd always come back," Graham murmured, "I told you, when I knew I was going to die."

"But you died. I held you in my arms. You had a heart attack!" Emma said, careful not to raise her voice. She was painfully aware of the 10 set of eyes on them both.

"Magic…" Graham smiled lightly, his eyes glancing down to her lips. He however restrained himself, knowing all of the others would probably have plenty of questions.

"I told you-," Graham's weight suddenly went limp against her, her mind recalling the last dreaded time this happened.

"Archie!" Emma cried out, manoeuvring him in a more comfortable position against her, as she sunk to her knees. Her eyes sought out Henry, hoping he would give her any idea about what was happening.

The therapist knelt beside her, a small insect-like buzzing coming from inside him. It started happening ever since he had regained his memories, clearly his insect-self was trying to reach out for him

"He's gone into shock, Emma," Archie felt for the man's pulse, feeling it strong against his fingertips, "it clearly took a lot out of him, along with the blood loss from his multiple wounds. He'll be fine, we just need to get him into a comfortable position and wait for his body to recover." Emma heard the words but did not really process them, her mind only focused on the man currently in her lap. She would not let him die again, not when she saw the clear expression in his eyes.

She felt a small hand pull her up, letting Archie and Leroy take care of Graham, calling others to help them lift Graham into Emma's room.

"Mum?" Henry whispered. Emma's eyes glanced up in shock. Of course, they both knew she was his birth mother, but Emma was still recovering from her recently realised heritage. They both knew it would take time to really create the mother-son relationship both were absent from for 10 years.

"It'll be alright, Kid," Emma smiled, glancing down at the book currently next to Henry, "is there anything in that book that may explain this? He clearly is the Huntsman, but he clearly remembers everything that occurred here."

"Well, there's a passage that shows the Huntsman leaving to a 'realm without magic', the same description given by the Blue Fairy to Rumpelstiltskin and Bae," Henry opened the page to a picture, clearly of Graham, stepping through the same green mist that took over the fairytales to bring them here. His eyes lifted slightly to Gold and Belle sitting in the corner, a quiet discussion going on between them.

"So he's returned? Actually returned?" Emma said, pulling Henry into a large hug. She would one day be thankful for that book, it had after all reunited her with her son.

"By the looks of it, his memories have also stayed with him, both the ones from Storybrooke and in the Fairytales." Henry 's voice was muffled against Emma's leather jacket, a smile on his face as he thought of what was the come. Everything was coming to an close, to the Final Battle that would return them all the land of Fairytales. He could be a Knight of the Seven Realms, as he was technically royalty.

"No need to get ahead of yourself, kid. There's still a long way to go…" Emma smiled, knowing his mind was off on adventures about 'There'. Her eyes flickered to her room, knowing the man she'd been grieving over was in there reasonably safe. She'd be lying if the thought of him being useful in the Final Battle hadn't crossed her mind, but the number one thing she was worried about was his health. A small doubt lingered in the back of her consciousness; that he may not want to see her anymore; that he may not want to restart what was clearly between them on that fatal night.

Archie opened the painted white door to her room, a smile on his lips as he took in her worried expression, "He's fine, he just needs a bit of rest. He's asking for you." He placed a hand lightly on her shoulder; his buzzing filled her hearing for a second, before fading away when he walked away, his eyes set only on Ruby.

She nervously pushed her door open, knowing several pairs of eyes were watching her disappear into the room. They weren't a hundred percent sure of what occurred on that day; they only knew that it greatly affected Emma, the day bringing a certain level-headedness on her shoulders.

The sight before her was both terrifying yet soothing. They had removed his overcoat, which held the most blood, leaving him a dark nylon shirt that clearly wasn't the style of today's dress. The cut on his cheek had been stitched; however a new bruise was forming over his eye. Someone had clearly been out to get him, and she had a pretty good idea who it was. His crossbow and muddied boots rested next to an empty chair, clearly recently vacated by Archie.

He was the nearest they had to a doctor, after Doctor Whale had left to join the 'dark side'. Emma was certain however that we had not seen the last of the infamous Doctor Whale. He really wasn't a good doctor, however people had put up with him. It was either that or face Regina, and no-one really wanted that.

"Hey you," Graham's voice was a lot weaker than previously. His breath seemed laboured, but Emma was confident that Archie would be able to fix him up. He did, after all, have the title 'Doctor'.

"Hey," Emma murmured, sitting lightly on the edge of her bed, "how are you feeling?"

"Honestly? Like crap," Graham laughed, although the restraint in his breathing was evident, a small wince glancing across his features.

"Well, at least you're honest," Emma smiled, noticing how long his hair had grown. Instead of his usual neat 'man cut', it was now in locks, his dark brown fringe framing his face, "and you need a haircut, mister," her hand coming up to move a particularly rebellious piece shielding his eyes.

"Don't treat me like a boy. I have my bow…" While in normal circumstances, the darkened tone to his voice would have put Emma on alert, but by the sound of his breathing, she knew any particularly raised voice would cause him pain, "plus we both know where that night was leading…"

Emma felt a blush run up her cheeks, her mind keeping notice of the volume of their voices; after all, only a wall separated them and the rest of the surely curious group outside.

"You're injured. There's no need for the flirting," Emma was overjoyed inside, yet she knew that she had to put his wellbeing first.

"Oh come on, Em," Graham's accent sounded through the words. Emma pressed a light kiss to his forehead, feeling a huff come from Graham.

"Once you're better. Plus my kid is outside – that would just be awfully wrong." Emma smiled, reminding herself to talk to Henry once this was all over, "now, are you going to tell me why you are here?"

"I will. Just once I've rested, I feel rather sleepy," Graham eyes were clearly drooping. A hand came to grip her own, Graham's thumb drawing lazy circle over the back of her hand.

"That had better not be a euphemism, Sheriff" Emma smiled, removing her hand and patted it down, safely stopping any advances that he was certainly not up to.

"I wouldn't dream of it, Sheriff," Graham's breath steadied, a smile still gracing his face. So he had noticed her badge, she touched it briefly, feeling like a little bit of him was still with her as she walked out the door.

When she returned to the dining table, she knew everyone would want to talk to her. Of course, no-one knew of the 'thing' her and Graham had, only that she had been with him when he supposedly died. Henry gave her a hug; she really needed him right now.

"Hey kiddo, he'll be alright," Emma smiled, she tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. She would not get upset – she didn't hold strong feelings like that for anyone, other than Henry, it was just against her nature. Then why did she feel like this, just because of a man, who she happened to kiss one night? Seeing him like that, all frail and injured. Her mind briefly made the comparison between the night he had died, when he patched her up. She forced herself not to think of the tragedy that occurred afterwards, instead focusing on the fact he was alive, and reasonably well.

"You alright?" Her parents came to her sides, although it was a strange site, with both of them younger than her. She nodded meekly – her head still swimming with images from that night long ago, where she held Graham as he died. Snow seemed to understand her hurt, an arm coming around her, guiding her into an empty seat at the head of the circle.

"What happened?" Henry asked, scooting her over so he could sit on the chair as well. There was a clear sense of confusion in his eyes, but this was clouded also by worry. Emma was unsure of what he was talking about, whether it was what happened in the room, or in connection with Emma and Grahams heartfelt emotions. Of course, she should tell her son, but should she really say to him that Graham had been sleeping with his 'mum'? That was, after all, how it all started.

"What do you want to know?" Emma said, her mind running over the ways to tell him that there was something between her and the Huntsman.

"What happened the night he died?" Henry asked, his face looked decidedly innocent, yet his eyes were sparkling with mischief. He blatantly knew what had happened that night, although how did he know?


	2. Paying Dues To Every Moment Wasted

**Paying Dues To Every Moment Wasted On Words Left Unsaid**

**A/N: Alas, I was so addicted to writing this, I decided to write this in Maths and post it up. (Stuff A-level Maths!). Luckily I didn't get caught... :P So, here we go, the sequel to We'll Never Make It In This Vicious Little World. Enjoy! I might do more chapters... Opinions?**

It was a week since Graham had returned, and Emma had rarely been out of the house, or out of her room. She was generally the only one who ever visited – the others chose to gave them space, curious that what was going on between them. Even Emma wasn't sure. The cause of his injuries, which included a broken rib, was still yet to be known. Each day, Emma asked him, yet he always had the same reply. He was clearly scared of the repercussion. What scared Emma the most was that out of everyone, the idea of Graham being scared seemed alien. He wasn't a big guy, unlike Leroy or David, but he definitely had a wit about him some of the others didn't, making him a mean match.

"Are you going to tell me today?" Emma asked, taking up her usual spot on the char next to her bed. She had been taking the couch since Graham arrived, although her bed was kingsized, she knew it would cause even more suspicion around the couple; although, Graham was on the mend, being able to get up and about occasionally. The main problem was a rather painful burn covering his right knee- something that was surely created by magic.

"Maybe…" Graham eyes sparkled, knowing he was teasing her. Of course, he had a thing for her, consistent with how he had felt before he 'died'. They were the talk of the town, although with the town being so small, news travelled fast and it wasn't hard for that to happen. No-one knew of the closeness they formed. Regardless of what Emma had said to Henry, she still had not disclosed the exact nature of the relationship to anyone, including the kid. Although, it was probably a lot more innocent than what everyone was considering – it was only some hand-holding and the occasional kiss on the forehead; yet this could be associated with anyone being ill. Emma felt like she was in seventh grade again, all innocent – definitely against her nature.

Emma had her speculations as to why Graham had clammed up about his injuries, and about the 'thing' they had going on. She wasn't even sure what was going on; all she knew was that she was happy, a lot happier than she had been with Neal.

"Was it Regina?" Emma looked at Graham straight in the eyes – brown merging with blue. The thought had been playing on her mind for a few days, at first she had suspected Gold, but the falter in his breathing certainly wasn't attributed to his broken rib. His eyes shone, green mixing with brown, an acceptance of her question shining through them.

Emma felt anger run through her body. Regina had, at one time, put all of them in danger, including Henry. And now Graham? She was going to pay…

"Don't worry about me, Em" Graham smiled, taking her hand in his and squeezing lightly. Although he was angry at Regina, her being locked up in a cell right now was enough for him. However, the look on Emma's face suggested she was out for blood, "I'll back on my feet in no time."

"What did she do to you?" Emma glanced at his chest, covered by his newly-washed brown shirt, his laboured breathing evident from the rise and fall of his chest, the gash against his cheek, angry with red, crossed by stitches.

"She didn't approve of my leaving…" Graham murmured, his eyes looking deep into Emma's. "I stole Jefferson's hat… I never through it would work, but clearly I have more magic in me than I thought…"

"That makes two of us then," Emma smiled, "Why did you want to return so badly?"

"To you of course." Their laced fingers tightened. Emma was slightly shaken by this. She didn't form relationships, not after Neal. She aws a woman of lust, and rash judgements, not love – the walls she'd built up around her heart were certainly going to stay, never to be broken. Storybrooke, however, and all the events that had occurred there were slowly starting to pull them down, feeling them cracking and crumbling under the friendships and love she'd gained. She held her breath slightly at the mention of 'love' inside her head – it was certainty a rarity for it to mentioned, on occasion only addressing Henry.

Graham cleared his throat, reaching out for a class of water on the nightstand, wincing slighty as he moved his newly patched up shoulder. Regina definitely did a number on him.

"I had to try multiple times to see if the parallel world would open. I knew it needed magic on both sides to open, and I had to put faith in you to break the curse. That's when they got to me. She had her best soldiers onto me. I suspect the intention was for her to get into Storybrooke – after all, her counterpart's magic would be fully restored and would be able to kill the Royals. But alas, here I am, so clearly something went right."

Emma knew the evil that Regina had in her heart, yet to think she would follow Graha, ruthlessly until she found him made her blood boil.

"I'm going to get that bitch…" Emma's voice sounded through her gritted teeth.

"What is done is done. What I care about now is getting better and kicking ass with you by my side as sheriffs."

"We're going to have to get two badges…"

"Or we could just share one…" Graham murmured, knowing that he shouldn't be openly flirting with her. He was sure she and August had a thing, but by the amount of time she spent with him, she was starting to doubt that…

"Now, now…" Emma smirked, motioning outside to the group that was behind the door. They hadn't really left, instead choosing to have consecutive sleepovers, having Ruby and Snow to cook for them – clearly fairytale traditions had not taken into consideration gender equality…

Gold and Belle even stayed, although both rarely talked to the others, instead choosing to speak between themselves quietly in the corner. Their personas dropped occasionally, replacing talking quietly with holding hands, or one occasion, a kiss on the cheek. The only real friendship Belle had made was with Ruby, who now had an amazing sense of smell. They bonded quickly, Belle ignoring the glares coming from Gold; his possessiveness could be slightly overwhelming some times. However, she understood why, and often put up with his glares to people who clearly took an interest into the pair.

"They'll suspect something…" Emma whispered.

"They do little else," Graham smirked, his thumb rubbing circles over her palm. He knew he was pushing her delicately into a corner she had no will to get out of. He was going to get her.


	3. Half Remembered, Half Away Across a Wall

**Half Remembered, Half Way Across a Wall  
**

"I feel seriously awkward…" Emma murmured against Graham's shoulder. They were currently sitting in Granny's, its inhabitants sending suspicious glances at them. Now that everyone remembered, seeing the Huntsman feeling anything like emotion with someone was unheard of.

"We said they would talk. The talk has died down. Now they're just reduced to staring," Graham muttered, smiling into her hair. He'd been up and about for a few days, yet this was the first time they'd sat down and been social somewhere. The talk had grown from the hand holding down the road to the corner shop, perfectly innocent; yet this was clearly not what people believed. They would not tell people what had gone on after that night talking – Emma really didn't need that conversation with Henry right now.

Graham's knee was mending, and the gash on his cheek was now just a faint red line. It surely shouldn't have healed up at that speed – clearly the magical properties of Storybrooke encouraged fast healing… They had yet to have a meeting with Regina, although Graham had not divulged any more information about the main reason for his return, or the true extent of his escape. The main question popping up in Emma's head was what had happened when Regina - she should really say the Evil Queen – had found him. There was an underlying sense of relief that Graham had returned; his body and mind now relaxing into the steady life of Storybrooke. He thought he would find it slightly boring, but he held an immediate sense of home when he had managed to return, remembering all of them sat down in a circle.

It had been a lonely few months in the Enchanted Forest, running from Regina and her henchmen. The only thought in his mind had been that he had to believe in Emma, that should could break the curse and he could return – temporarily removing himself from the hell that was the Fairytale land. He had yet to tell anyone how bad the Evil Queens power had got after the spell had been cursed. She seemed to be the only one who had remained in both worlds at the same time – all the others disappearing into Storybrooke. Regardless of what Gold insisted, Regina had total control of Storybrooke, as well as the Fairytale world. This was why he was fearful to utter a single word of what had occurred in the other world, knowing that it could fracture the dynamics of the curse.

"Are you going to tell me yet?" Emma asked. She had to be persistant, worrying that if she stopped Graham would never open up about it all. She took a sip of her strong black coffee, knowing that her… excursions… has night had meant she hadn't got some sleep.

"Perhaps," Graham murmured, his hands closing around his warm cup of tea, knowing he was once again teasing the woman now known as the 'Savoir'; it was just too simple to tease her. He knew he perhaps shouldn't, not wanting to break the already fractured line between them, especially last night. Neither of them regretted it – they were both getting too wound up about it all, but the idea that it could all be over so soon rubbed away at Graham's thoughts. None of them knew the sheer catastrophe that could occur if they lost the 'Final Battle'. Neither of them realised how hard it could even be.

"You always say a variation of the word, why can't you just tell me?" Emma grumbled, clearly put out by his reluctance to share. She knew she shouldn't take it personally – he clearly had his reasons, but the fact he was so adamant hurt her slightly. Clearly Regina was in the fairytale land as well as Storybrooke. Was she mustering an army, of magical beasts and foes. Of course, they were going to be powerful, but would they be powerful enough?

She removed her jacket, suddenly feeling queasy, the room swimming before her.

"Emma. Emma!" Graham's voice whispered through her consciousness; her eyes not truly focused on anything, "Shit. Emma. Get your head out of your thoughts. They're engulfing your mind. It's too painful for you to comprehend it."

Grahams hand on her head distracted her, his fingertips soothing her scalp. Her queasiness faded, the room came back from its blurry distortion, the luminous lights suddenly seemed to bright for her eyes.

"What happened to me?" Emma murmured, Graham's face coming back into focus as he lowered his hand to her shoulder, keeping her upright.

"You can't consider what happening in the fairytale land too much. While all of us have resistance to the curse, after all the Fairytale world is our home, but you and Henry suffer from the effects. Clearly the after effects of the curse are still present…" A shadow passed over Graham's face, wondering if there were any unknown effects of the curse left over. Clearly Gold had placed a loop hole in, allowing him to control the magic flow in the town, but what if Regina had a part to play as well? Could she have altered the curse?

"I think I'll just sit here and rest my head for a bit…" Emma groaned, her stomach still feeling unsettled. Graham wrapped his arms around her, replacing the leather jacket hazardously thrown over the seat oppositely. The coffee was left forgotten as Emma's stomach churned at the idea of eating or drinking something, "It feels as bad as morning sickness…"

"Lets hope it's not that…" Graham smiled, feeling the hurt coming from Emma as she recalled abandoning Henry. He was well aware she now felt guilty for him going to Regina, causing him the unhappy childhood he had.

"It can't be…" Emma murmured, resting her head on his shoulder as she inhaled his cologne, rich in forest and a distinct smell of just him. A comfortable silence engulfed them as they ignored the now concerned stares coming from the customers of Granny's.

"Well look who it is." A sharp voice came across the diner, the clearly sound of heels clicking against the tiles. Neither of the pair had to look up to know who it was. The diner suddenly seemed empty. None of the people on the 'Royal's side' wished to have a run in with Regina, or of her 'troops'. Dr Whale clearly had becoming the head of her 'clan', after siding with her for the 'greater good'.

"Your Majesty." Graham nodded his head in mockery, his Irish accent dripping with hate. She'd chosen to wear her usual suit, the colour now a deep black instead of the usual charcoal colour she was normally seen in.

"Having a little - predicament?" Regina smiled, her eyes blazing at the couple before her. Of course she was well aware of their little relationship – she had spies in some very informed places…

"We're fine." Emma's voice bit out through clenched teeth as her mind rushed back to seeing Graham at her doorway, the clothes matted with dried blood, the gashes across his body.

"Not for long…" Regina's voice hinted a sense of foreboding, of the teasing neither of them particularly had a taste for. Graham looked her in the eye, defiance radiating brightly in the dark brown depths.

"I think you should leave." A young voice sounded. Ruby was standing behind the counter, her teeth bared into almost a snarl. Regina made a small noise in her throat, of both reluctance and boldness. She was just a girl, nothing more.

Regina's heels sounded over the diner tiles, sending a last glance of subordination over the couple, before walking out, her hips swinging defiantly.

The pair looked deep into each other's eyes, both thick with worry. They had to get back to 'base', clearly Regina was up to something…


	4. Casually Dropping a Line, Designed

**Casually dropping a line, designed**

"Emma? Graham?" A voice was heard behind the door, Emma recognising the sound immediately.

"Wait a second!" Emma shouted, throwing Graham's trousers at him, "For the love of god, get dressed. I'm NOT being caught by my mother!"

"Chill, it's no big deal." Graham smirked, unknowingly pulling on mismatching socks, pulling Emma's shirt off a nightstand.

"Not a big deal?! She's my mother!" Emma shouted, careful of the people outside, "I haven't had this problem for 28 years, there is no way I'm getting caught now!"

"Who cares?" Graham shrugged, his hands coming to rest on her shoulders, "the last I heard, we're all adults"

Emma smiled, remembering that conversation very well, it was after all, the night her walls started to break down – the walls she had kept up for 28 years. She opened the door, blushing slightly at Snow's innocent expression. Although they didn't have the typical mother/daughter relationship, they were adapting.

"We're all having breakfast. Red cooked a fry up." Snow glanced over the pairs obvious dishevelled half dressed state, a small smile creeping on her face. Of course, Snow had expected something like this to happen. She wasn't a hundred percent comfortable that she was currently standing in a room which she knew had held some not-so innocent actions last night. But she knew Emma, regardless of their relation – she was a woman, and it was her decision to do whatever she would, including various males. She just hoped it was more than a one night stand.

"Well, I hope you had a nice night…" Snow winked, a blush coming to a cheeks.

Emma felt the blood rush to her cheeks, strong fingers coming around her own and squeezing gently. They had passed that wall, and it was great.

When they entered what was now known as the 'mess', which was basically a collection of chairs around a large table, a lot of pairs of eyes rested on their pair.

"Hi." Emma murmured meekly, smiling as she casually sat down on Grahams lap. She was pretty sure Snow had purposely left only one chair, practically outing the pair to everyone there. David nodded his head minutely to Graham; he physically relaxed knowing that he had acceptance of her parents, choosing to wrap his arm around her waist.

It felt strange to Emma, being so accepted and feeling so much after what she normally would have counted as a one night stand. She was actually feeling something. She had started feeling like Graham had before he 'died', with a sense of no heart and certainly no feelings. But being encased in his arms with what she practically called her family meant a lot to her. Her eyes travelled over the table, recounting faces who all held acceptance.

The most surprising was Henry, who she thought would be slightly put out by the pair. She really should have given him some warning, yet the young boy's eyes sparkled – clearly he had acceptance of his mum's new partner.

David coughed as he noted Graham's mismatched socks, clearly one of them was Emma's, it pulling tight across his larger foot. The pink and black socks differed drastically, causing the group to wonder exactly what Snow had interrupted when she went to call them.

"So, what did you want to talk to us about last night?" Gold asked, his brogue resonating around the room. Emma had not noticed him in the corner. Apparently he had become at least a reasonably sociable rotten bastard… Clearly Belle has having a good effect on him.

"Ah, we met Regina yesterday. We think she has something planned… A lot more drastic than what we first expected." Emma and Graham glanced at eachother, both reliving the moments that they had met Regina. A tension coiled up in Graham, his mind trying to find a reaon why he did ever sleep with her… Clearly he had been out of his mind. Out of his mind enough to ignore Emma for a good few months after she'd arrived.

"It's completely unclear what it may be. Although we think she added a loop-hole into the curse. Would that be possible, Rumple?" Graham nodded towards the Scottish man, his hand gripping his cane as he stood, his eyes fleeting to pass a look of sorrow to Belle.

"I was suspicious that she would try to do something. I thought I had put up the necessary defences to try block out and intrusion from other magic. At the time, it was purely out of selfish reasons, but I now realised I clearly must have missed something…" The hint of sorrow in Gold's voice was unheard of by the other people in the room, they all stared slightly shocked at him. Clearly Belle had changed him far greater than anyone imagined. "It could be possible that she inserted a clause or something into the curse – after all, it was drafted like a contract – it seemed the simplest way to create it at the time, but it seems foolish now…" Gold's eyes clouded over as his mind went into deep thought, considering any flaws that curse could bring.

"We think Emma and Henry might suffer from after-effects of the curse. They aren't attributed to magic as much as we are. Everyone knows our souls hold our magic, mainly due to long term exposure to the magic found in the Fairytale land. But alas, Emma and Henry have not have this exposure. It could be problematic in the battle." Graham glanced at Emma, then to Henry, who too was deep in thought.

"That's where all them headaches came from…" Henry murmured, thinking it was just part of a growth spurt or something… "Can it limit my mums and I involvement with the 'war'?" Henry's eyes looked desperate. Although he was only 10, he had already been practicing swordplay with his grandfather (it still felt strange calling David that), and he was willing to fight.

"It might do. But if we try to hone in your magic exposure, the effects might pass. It's clear that you and Emma have clear magical properties. Your ability to sense truth isn't just a lucky sixth sense, Emma." Graham knew they would both be valuable in the war, even if they had to stay on the sidelines.

"I can help if you like." An unlikely voice popped up: Gold, "I have a few spellbooks hanging around. Although I'm aware young Mr Mills has one, which he believed he 'took' without my knowledge." Gold's eyes sparkled at Henry. Considering the injuries Gold had left Moe French with after stealing from him, Henry was very glad he wasn't going to follow a similar fate.

"Er. Thanks. I think…" Emma's eyes roamed over Gold, trying to take any position of ulterior motive – something that would bring him out on top. She had already considered the fact that he could be spying for Regina, but she had enough to evidence to suggest they definitely didn't have a smooth running acquaintance, and they definitely wouldn't be collaborating any time soon.

"That's quite alright, Ms Swan." Gold ducked his head to the table, before leaving with Belle in tow – most likely back to his shop. He did after all, still have to do business.

"Well that was strange…" Ruby perked up, clearly slightly put out by Gold's offer.

"That girl has a good effect on him…" David wondered, the nature of the relationship between Gold and Belle was the large elephant in the room, accompanied by the one now facing everyone.

"So, did you have a nice evening?" Snow said across the room, a smirk on her face. She certainly looked innocent and her nature was generally of a same temperament, but she couldn't help but tease her not-so-little girl. Emma blushed, burying her head in the side of Graham's neck, hoping the world would just swallow it up. While Emma knew that no-one rejected them in the room, it was definitely a rather large elephant that was currently residing right in the middle of the kitchen.

"Tea anyone?" Henry asked, knowing that he too had felt the same embarrassment currently present on his mums face. Of course, it was nothing based on such… adult natures, but he still knew what it felt like. He glanced out the corner of his eye, seeing Emma throw him a smile and a nod of the head.


End file.
